About a month ago I got a very sweet, unaltered, male, mini rex. The person I got him from knew very little about his background because she was selling him and a few others for a friend.
He was timid at first, but then became very curious and outgoing once he got used to his surroundings. He follows me everywhere, circles my feet, nudges me to pet him, and climbs into my lap for treats. I think the circles-my-feet thing may have precipitated this whole problem because I accidentally kicked him a couple times when I wasn't paying attention. I felt really bad and pet him and gave him treats afterward, but...
Recently he's developed this habit of charging and growling at my feet whenever I walk around. He's even bitten me a few times. He only does this when I'm walking, and is otherwise a perfectly happy bunny. Though he follows me everywhere and does this, it's more severe around areas he considers "his" (like his pen or litterbox). He's also sprayed around his litterbox a few times.

So I'm wondering --
Is this a reaction to the kicks? If so, will it pass and what can I do to help that along?
Or -
Is this a territorial thing? Can I train it out of him, or do I have to get him neutered? I've read that the health benefits for fixing a rabbit are mainly for the female, and I'd rather not put him through that if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Kelly.

I'm the bunny expert on this site. Bunnies are my passion, I have 4 myself.

How old is this bunny? Did the former owner give you any idea of his age?

Here's the thing, I didn't even have to read your entire thread to know what's going on. All I had to read was your title, and the "I got a very sweet, unaltered, male". But I did read the entire post anyway.

There's an easy fix to all of this. Get your bunny fixed. Males are fine until they hit sexual maturity at around 6 months of age. After that they get aggressive, will spray, will lunge, will bite, will growl. Neutering is the fix. It really is.

If you feel comfortable telling me the general area where you live (state is fine) I can help find a rabbit vet for you. Neutering can cost from $50 - $400, depending on where you live. It's worth every penny, and will stop all the bad habits you're dealing with. The best thing, it will prolong his life by many many years. Most unfixed rabbits don't make it to their 5th year. Fixed rabbits can live up to 12 years. Big difference.

Let me know if you want my help finding a rabbit vet in your area.

In the meantime, I'd love to see a picture of this little bun. :)

I seem to be talking to you a lot on this site. :-)

Thanks for your advice. I figured that's what had to be done, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to subject the little guy to surgery. He's about a year old, according to the lady I got him from. In your experience, do rabbits often have complications afterward? I've heard it can be difficult to get them to eat after the procedure.

Thanks for your offer, but there are a lot of animal clinics and shelters in my area. I'm sure I'll be able to find a rabbit savy vet. Trust me, I have no intention of taking my precious bun to someone with little or no rabbit experience.

I've been trying to upload a picture of him, but my computer is not cooperating right now. Hopefully I'll be able to get one up soon.

Thanks, again! :-)

Complications are minimal. The only major worry after surgery is the rabbit tearing out the stitches or staples (don't let the vet use staples, it's not a good idea for a rabbit).

Of the four rabbits I have only one had to undergo the surgery under my care, the others were rescues and had the surgery before I adopted them. I can't say that post surgery was fun, not because of health issues, but keeping Cotton from getting to his staples (yes, my vet used staples) was the only issue. The cone kept coming off, a yolk (extra cost) didn't work, and he managed to tear out on of his staples before I realized that just because a vet said it will work, doesn't make it so. At one point I was staying up all day and night making sure he wasn't trying to pull out his staples.

I finally figured out my own method. I bought a cat harness and looped the cone through it. That kept the cone on Cotton, and prevented him from getting to his wound. But it was a lot of time and money before I had that epiphany. ;)

Rabbits only stop eating if they're deathly ill. In fact, that's a great way to test the vet you end up using. If the vet says to starve your rabbit before surgery (most animals and all humans shouldn't eat before surgery because of the fear of vomiting after, and choking. Rabbits don't have a gag reflex, they cannot vomit, so starving them before surgery is not only not necessary but also very harmful. Rabbits need to eat every day, or they'll die, due to their unique digestive systems) than don't trust that vet.

So much info I could give you. It's too much to post here.

You're more than welcome, and any question you have, I'm here to answer. I don't get a lot of bunny questions, and as I said, they are my passion. I'm a member of the House rabbit society, you can Google it. That site is reliable, and all the info on it is accurate. But, you can post here and I'll give you any info you're looking for. :)

Can't wait to see a picture.

Here's Chester
(as long as my computer can make this work)

OMG! He's gorgeous! What a beautiful bunny!

He looks a lot like my Thumper, only darker. Thumper is dark grey.

He's a sweetie. Thanks for sharing the pics. :)